# Would you rather be eaten by a crocodile or a shark? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913 "2014-01-15T22:32:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![compositejoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/compositejoe/32/7232_2.png) [@compositejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/compositejoe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/1 "2014-01-15T22:32:32Z")
If you had to make the choice. šŸ˜• Both would end up drowning you, but the croc has the death roll, where as the shark would tear chunks out of you. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/2 "2014-01-15T22:35:19Z")
> [@compositejoe](#): > > Both would end up drowning you, but the croc has the death roll, where as the shark would tear chunks out of you. Actually Great Whites are likely to swallow you whole, so thereā€™s a third option. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/3 "2014-01-15T22:43:12Z")
I think it would be less embarrassing to be killed by a reptile than a fish. And at that, a primitive, boneless fish. That and deep water is scary. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/4 "2014-01-15T23:39:32Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Actually Great Whites are likely to swallow you whole, so thereā€™s a third option. Yeah, if youā€™re a flounder. Iā€™d rather bleed out with localized pain, than drown. Iā€™ll take fish food. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/5 "2014-01-16T00:50:54Z")
Does the shark have a frickinā€™ laser beam attached to its head? ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/6 "2014-01-16T00:52:29Z")
My first thought was that if no escape is possible, then I just want the fastest. But then I thought, have people ever worshipped sharks as divine? Maybe I want to go to the crocodile heaven. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/7 "2014-01-16T00:58:57Z")
Iā€™ll go [del]with[/del] in the shark. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/8 "2014-01-16T01:02:57Z")
Many victims of shark attacks report that the bite is virtually painless. Bleeding to death isnā€™t particularly painful either. Drowning may or may not happen before bleeding to death gets you first. Crocs, on the other hand, seem more of the ā€œtear you up, thrash you around, drown you slowlyā€ school of thought. Iā€™m willing to be convinced that Iā€™m prejudiced against crocs in this respect, but I donā€™t see how theyā€™re going to come out better than a shark. At best, there will be a tie. In the case of a tie, I still have to go with the shark. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/9 "2014-01-16T01:09:29Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Actually Great Whites are likely to swallow you whole, so thereā€™s a third option. > [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > Yeah, if youā€™re a flounder. Or a human, or a bicycle for that matter (Great Whites have been found who have bicycles inside them). Their typical method of hunting is to come up at high speed from directly below with their mouth open and engulf their target; a hunting tactic that often leads to the target being eaten whole. Which is apparently why Great White attacks are more lethal than attacks by other sharks; sharks apparently donā€™t like how humans taste and will often take a bite then leave the human alone. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/10 "2014-01-16T01:10:34Z")
Iā€™ll fight the hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/11 "2014-01-16T02:25:16Z")
if escape is not an option, Iā€™ll go the shark. A decent size shark will kill you pretty quickly. A Croc will generally just try to drag you under and drown you and eat you later. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/12 "2014-01-16T02:42:35Z")
A shark - if death **has to be** the final result. Many sharks just take a bite and move on, though. So I would prefer one of the more aggressive breeds - like the Bull, Shortfin Mako, Great White and Tiger. If theyā€™re interested enough in you, they may finish you off. Thankfully, sharks donā€™t see us as prey. Of course it would be terrifying, but a crocodile would be much worse, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/13 "2014-01-16T02:52:01Z")
\*or Tigerā€¦bahā€¦too late to edit. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/14 "2014-01-16T02:55:28Z")
If I had my druthers, Iā€™d druther be eaten by squirrels. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/15 "2014-01-16T03:07:00Z")
Tangential comment: SyFy needs to get on the stick and make a _[Sharkgator](http://www.sharkgator.com/index.html)_ movie ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/16 "2014-01-16T03:45:37Z")
Sharks strike me as being authentically cold soulless robots. While alligators/crocodiles just _pretend_\*\* to be cold soulless robots. Sharks just operate on a program. It would be pure routine for them to eat me. No pleasure, just business. I have to respect that. The alligator/crocodiles, though? Yeah, the reason their mouths are so big is because of all the smirking they do all the time. Youā€™d be trying to run away from them, and theyā€™d be thinking, ā€œLook at this fool we got here. Shitting and pissing all over the place. Crying like a little pussy. Iā€™m about to make me a sandwich, yessir!ā€ I want my death to be dignified. Give me the shark. ---
**Author:** ![Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/17 "2014-01-16T19:27:56Z")
From what Iā€™ve read, unconsciousness occurs _very quickly_ after inhaling a lungful of water. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/18 "2014-01-16T20:54:31Z")
Yeah, but that lungful of water _sucks_. Have you seen that underwater footage of a croc holding itā€™s prey on the murky bottom?! No thanks. Iā€™ll take the thrashing and writhing and bleeding out. Also, youā€™re supposed to punch them on the nose, right? I might manage that. Iā€™ve had stage fighting lessons. Theyā€™re werenā€™t aimed at sharks, or underwater, but I feel they might just give me an edgeā€¦? šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/19 "2014-01-16T20:58:16Z")
No, I would not. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913/20 "2014-01-16T21:24:46Z")
I loathe crocodiles. They scare the bejesus out of me with their cold, beady eyes and stillness. So Iā€™m going with sharks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-eaten-by-a-crocodile-or-a-shark/678913.md?page=2)